System of air conditioning



Oct. 3, 1933. I F. T. LEILICH I 1,929,176

SYSTEM OF vAIR CONDITIONING Filed Dec. 24. 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 1 "91 t INVHVTOR.

Oct. 3, 1933- I LE|LICH 1,929,176

SYSTEM OF AIR CONDITIONING Filed Dec. 24, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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0a. 3, 1933. F; I H 1,929,176

SYSTEM OF AIR CONDITIONING Filed Dec. 24. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jzcww 13-3 /7zi I -I)VVENT0R 604mg @isfm 1 Y w a A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES SYSTEM or AIR. CONDITIONING Frank '1. Leilich, Baltimore, Md.,' assignor, by mesne assignments, to William W. Varney,

Baltimore, Md.

Application December 24, 1930 Serial No. 504,514

6 Claims.

In many installations, particularly industrial, the requirements in dilierent parts of the plant differ and it usually means conditioners for each. part, or if a central machine is used, in the case of dehumidifying, the air passing through the conditioner is dehydrated to the extent necessary to provide the required quantity of air with the minimum moisture content specified and then heated and in' some cases humidified to give the 0 required conditions for the other parts. Such operation is uneconomical and if separate machines are used for the difierent processes, the total investment costs are high, space requirements large, and undue multiplication of mechanical equipment results, all of which is objection able.

It is desirable in practically every case to reduce the number of mechanical parts and centralize the machinery to expedite its supervision and control. This invention is a process or arrangement in which part of the air is withdrawn after being conditioned to the desired extent and the remainder continues through the machine and is drawn off at conditions difierent from that of the air drawn oil nearer the inlet of the conditioner.

We can effect economy of conditioning by withdrawing the desired quantities of air after these quantities have been conditioned to the desired degree only and passing the remaining air through the following stages or sections of the conditioner until the air has been conditioned to the desired degree. While I have shown only two stages in the drawings, where desired three or more stages may be used and the air drawn off at a number of locations before reaching the final stage.

The object of my invention is to provide a 'sys tem to accomplish the above mentioned requirements, whereby a single plan costing less, occupy- 40 ing less space, and simple in mechanical equipment and construction, is provided to perform the multifarious functions previously described.

A further object of my invention is a system for air conditioning whereby either fresh air or recirculated air or mixtures thereof may be admitted to the conditioner and treated therein, diverting air after such treatment to further continue the treatment of portions thereof, and delivering such divided portions after leaving the B0 conditioner for different uses, and providing a desired amount of re-circulated air or fresh air or a mixture thereof to each of said divided portions as may be desired in the final product of air in each diversion, respectively.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

my invention consists of the methods employed, combination and arrangement of systems, apparatus and means as herein specifically set forth, provided and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

' In the drawings of the herein described em:- bodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a partial elevation diagrammatic flow plan of an apparatus capable of performing and carrying out my system of air treatment and distribution, and

might be considered as illustrating a bleeder type conditioner in which part or parts of the air or gas being conditioned is bled off after con ditioning to a lesser degree than the remainder of the air. The machine illustrated is of the spray type, although the general design is also 1 applicable to shed machines. Also the design is such that the spraying liquid passes throughthe cooler or heat exchanger 22 in its path to the sumps or sprays. Also, heat exchanger 22 may be replaced by coils in the bottom sump tank or coils in the path of theair, these coils to be wetted by the cooling fluid or chilling the air by direct contact. .But sprays may be used, in which case a second spray pump with its suc- .tion connected to the sump tank of the second 3 stage 3 and feeding the sprays of the first stage 2 would'be required. Fig. 2 shows a modification of the system as adapted to what might be considered a two-stage counter flow bleeder conditioner of the shed type.

In Fig. 2 the counter flow principle is utilized in that the colder air meets the colder liquid. With the shed type, the machine is of the two-stage type and functions with only one pump, although it may be built for any number of stages.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through 3--3, of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through 4-4, of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the prime numerals indicating parts in Figs. 2 and 4.

1 and 1 is the outside casing. 2 and 2 is the primary treating section or stage and may comprise sheds, spray, or other humidifying or dehumidifying appliances, such as coils or modifications thereof. In this specification, when I use the term, aqueous treating, I mean treating the air to produce a desired humidity thereof, whether by adding water to it by sprays of 1 water or brine, or reducing its temperature by cold water or brine to below its dew point, or

cooling it with external means below its dew' by motors 12, 12 13 and 13 respectively.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, sprays are used in both stages. In the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, sheds are used.

Referring to Fig. 2, 14 is the first stage sump tank, and 15 is the intermediate sump tank, forming the supply tank for treating stage 2 16 is the supply tank for secondary treating appliance 3 17 is a circulating pump circulating the fluid from sump tank 14 to supply tank 16 this pump is driven by any ordinary means such as a motor 18 In sump tank 14 is a shed or drain plate 19 which catches the fluid from treating appliance 2 and carries it to the end of sump tank 14 away from the suction of pump 1'7 In sump tank 14 are bafiles 20 arranged to produce a counter flow of liquid and refrigerant. A high rate of heat transfer in the refrigerating coils 21 is effected, because drain plate 19 drains the shed fluid into one end of the sump tank, and from this end it fiows along the coils, its path being definitely determined by said baffles 20 to the circulating pump suction. The refrigerant flows through the cooling coils in the opposite direction to the liquid flowing from the drain plate end of the sump to the pump suction.

The sump tank 14 is built slightly tapering from the bottom to the top to prevent damage by expansion in case the cooling liquid solidifies.

While I have shown cooling. coils in the sump tank, in Fig. 2, and an external cooling means for the fluid in Fig. l, the reverse may be used with substantially equal efilciency; but I have shown the two systems as being applicable.-

Referring to Fig. 1, 22 is a cooler for the fluid to be sprayed, the fluid being circulated from sump tank 14 through pump 17, cooler 22 and spray nozzles 23 and 24 in the primary and seccondary treating appliances, respectively. 25 are the refrigerant connections to cooling means 22.

Referring to the air or gas piping and flow, we will follow Fig- 1 first. 26 is the fresh air supply,

controlled by damper 27. 28 is the returned air inlet. controlled by damper 29. 30 is the bypass duct, controlled by dampers 31 and 32. 33 is the inlet to the conditioner. 34 is the outlet from the primary stage, controlled by damper 35,-and 36 is the outlet from the secondary-stage, controlled by damper 37.

In Fig. 2, 26 is the fresh air supply, controlled by damper 27 28 is the return air inlet, controlled by damper 29 30 is the by-pass duct, controlled by dampers 31 and 32 33 is the inlet to the conditioner; 34 is the outlet from the primary stage, controlled by damper 35 and 36 is the outlet from the secondary stage, controlled by damper 37 In this apparatus, as shown in the drawings. the various controls may be hand operate The heaters may be controlled by hand, and the various air mixture and withdrawals may be also hand controlled as well as the refrigeration and fluid for the sheds or sprays.

The speeds of the pumps and fans may be hand controlled.

Automatic controls and combination of controls are the subject matter of another applica-- tion.

38, 38 39 and 39 are fresh air inlets controlled by dampers 40, 40 and 41 and 41 respectively.

As an illustrative example, referring particularly in this example to Fig. 2, the return air enters return air inlet 28 controlled by damper 29 and is divided, some going through by-pass duct 30 and the remainder continuing to the conditioner 2 fresh air being admitted at 26 controlled by damper 27 After passing the conditioner 2 and eliminator 4 the conditioned air is divided, part of it going through conditioner 3 to secondary mixing chamber 9 where returned air is mixed with it as desired from by-pass duct 30 controlled by damper 31 and may have mixed with it fresh air if desired entering at 38 controlled by damper 40 this conditioned and mixed air is delivered at outlet 36 and controlled by damper 37 Returning to the other portion of the divided air coming from conditioner 2 the same enters primary mixing chamber 8 where returned air is mixed with it from by-pass duct 30 controlled by 32 and fresh air may be mixed through duct 39 controlled by damper 41 This conditioned air is delivered at delivery 34 controlled by damper 35 Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of air treating consisting of, treating a body of moving air to change its condition as to temperature and humidity as a first stage treatment, then dividing said air for individual treatment of said divided parts and then 116 treating one of said parts to change its condition as to temperature and humidity with reference to the other part of said divided air, then mixing with one of said divided portions initial air to be delivered with said divided portion separate 120 from the other divided portion.

2. The process of treating a mixture of fresh and recirculated air to change its condition as to temperature and humidity in a plurality of stages whereby portions of said air may be withdrawn between said stages and treating a divided portion separately with reference to temperature and humidity and mixing thereafter with one of said divided portions re-c'irculated air.

3. The process of treating a mixture'of fresh and re-circulated air to change its condition as to temperature and humidity in a plurality of stages whereby portions of said air may be withdrawn between two of said stages and treating a divided portion separately with reference to temperature and humidity and mixing thereafter with one of said divided portions re-circulated air and a mixture of fresh and re-circulated air to another of said portions.

4. The process of conditioning gas or air consisting of, aqueously treatinga body of gas in a plurality of stages, abstracting portions of said body of gas before reaching the flnal stage, then mixing said withdrawn portions with gas to change its characteristics as to temperature and humidity.

5. The process of air treating consisting of, treating a body of moving air to change its condition as to temperature and humidity as a first stage treatment, then dividing said air for individuai treatment of said divided parts and then treating one of said parts to change its condition as to temperature and humidity with reference to the other part of said divided air, then mixing with one of said divided portions fresh air to modify its condition.

6. The process of air conditioning consisting 

